Oxnard council to consider deal to share park with Rio School District

The Oxnard City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on an agreement with the Rio School District to build and maintain a park that will be shared with a nearby elementary school.

Approved by the school board last month, the joint-use agreement requires the city to pay for construction and maintenance of East Village Park, which the pupils of Rio Rosales School will use as a playground. The pact calls for half of the 6-acre park on Kohala Street to be available to the public at all times; the other 3 acres will be used by pupils while school is in session.

Councilman Bryan MacDonald said the agreement is a good deal because it keeps part of the park open to the public at all times. He said he wouldn't support the deal if the entire park was reserved for pupils during the academic year.

"I don't mind being supportive of schools. In fact, it's a good thing," MacDonald said. "I just want to make sure we don't shortcut our own constituents."

The proposal shifts more financial responsibility to the city due to the school district's budgetary constraints. Under the original agreement, last amended in 2002, the city would have paid to build the park and the district to maintain it.

"Since the recession, schools had been significantly cut with their budgets," said Mark Krueger, assistant superintendent of the school district. "Our operating budget just cannot accommodate maintaining a 6-acre park that the city would require."

Under the new agreement, the city would pay for construction and maintenance of the park using developer fees and Measure O sales tax funds. Construction of the park, expected to be complete in about 18 months, will cost about $3.3 million, while annual maintenance costs are estimated at $120,000.

To offset the construction and maintenance costs, the district will:

Pay for half of the design and construction of restrooms next to the school;

Deed a 15-foot strip of land to the city to enlarge the park;

Pay for water and utilities at normal city rates for the park as opposed to a half-price rate;

Pay for half of the cost to install and repair the fence and gates for half of the park;

Lease about 1 acre of land near the fire station on Turnout Lane at no cost; and